


Birthday Boy

by sharpiesgal (TigerLily)



Category: Quantum Leap
Genre: Community: 1_million_words, Gen, pre-Leap
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-29
Updated: 2013-07-29
Packaged: 2017-12-21 17:19:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/902869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TigerLily/pseuds/sharpiesgal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Al surprises Sam for his birthday.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Birthday Boy

**Author's Note:**

  * For [haldoor](https://archiveofourown.org/users/haldoor/gifts).



> First time I've written in this fandom, so I hope I got Sam and Al's voices right.
> 
> This also kills two birds with one stone since it serves as my Pool Party fic and Haldoor's Birthday Challenge.

Sam walked into his office managing to navigate his way toward his desk without bumping into anything since his head was buried in the endless calculations needed to bring his idea of a hybrid, super computer to life. He slid into his chair ignoring the creaking sound it made as he leaned forward to spread out across his desk the mound of printouts he had carried from his lab, so that he could better see the data.

The back of his hand hitting a box caused him to look up and finally take notice of his surroundings. A stack of neatly wrapped presents sat in the middle of his desk crowned by a cupcake anyone could have found in a vending machine.

He softly sighed. He had hoped his team would overlook this particular day, since he rarely was ever in the mood to celebrate his birthday. It wasn’t like he had anyone to share the experience with, but someone decided it needed to be acknowledged if not celebrated.

There weren’t many who would dare to go against his express wishes, so he just quietly placed the blame on the most likely culprit, his best friend, Al Calavicci.

Al meant well. He was always trying to remind Sam to slow down and experience life, but birthdays always reminded him of things he had lost; family, friends and opportunities at a normal life.

With another sigh, Sam set his pile of printouts aside and reached for his phone quickly dialing Al’s extension.

“Yeah, Sam,” Al answered like he had been waiting for the call. This normally irked Sam, but this time he had to smile since it proved his theory about Al being his gift giver.

“Could you come by my office, please?” Sam quietly inquired.

“I'll be there in a few minutes," Al said before hanging up.

Sam leaned back in his chair and studied the cupcake which apparently was in lieu of a proper birthday cake as he waited for Al to come sauntering down the hall with a ready made excuse.

He wasn’t disappointed when Al knocked on the door jam minutes later sliding into the room when Sam waved him inside his brightly colored clothes clashing badly with the office's muted color scheme. “You forgot the candle,” he simply stated before Al could try to reason his way out of what he had done.

“So you’re not mad at me?”

“Why would I be mad at you?”

“Because I refuse to let you ignore your birthday.”  


“I wasn’t ignoring it this year,” Sam reasoned as set the cupcake aside. “I was merely avoiding it.”

Al snorted in derision as he settled into the chair across from Sam’s desk. “That’s like me trying to avoid sex. It’s not gonna happen.”

“You equate sex with everything,” Sam grumbled.

“Not my fault I’m getting it regularly and you’re not,” Al retorted.

“Whatever,” Sam countered with a roll of his eyes. He reached for the topmost present pausing briefly to ask, “Any unexpected surprises in these?”

“Wouldn’t be a surprise if I told you, now would it?”

“Al...”

“Just open them and then you can go back to ignoring your birthday,” Al bit out trying very hard not to snap at Sam, but there were times when he strongly felt the urge to knock some sense into Sam’s head.

“Alright,” Sam agreed and opened the presents pleasantly surprised to find a couple of logic puzzle books amongst the usual collection of biographies and CDs. It made him smile grateful to be surrounded by people who not only respected him, but cared for him as well.

“Happy?”

“Yes,” Sam replied still smiling.

“Sorry about the candle, but somebody imposed this silly rule about open flames in the building.”

Sam picked up the cupcake and asked, “Want half?” He didn’t have it in him to remind Al about the reason he had to impose the no open flame rule in the first place.

“Nah...” Al answered. “Tina has been after me again concerning my bad eating habits.”

Sam nodded. He had gotten a similar lecture days earlier. He tried to eat healthy, but when he got involved in doing science all thoughts of food were pushed from his mind. “Then I better get rid of the incriminating evidence.”

“Be a good idea.”

Sam demolished the cupcake in a few bites and Al shook his head. “Forget lunch again?”

“Yeah, I guess I did.” Sam wiped the chocolate icing off his mouth with a napkin he had stashed in one of his desk drawers.

“What am I going to do with you?”

Sam shrugged. “What you normally do.”

“Drag you out of here grunting and grumbling because I’m taking you away from some important scientific breakthrough,” Al quipped, the sarcasm fairly dripping from his voice.

“Why do I put up with you again?”

“I’m a brilliant conversationalist and a snappy dresser.”

“Sure you are,” Sam drawled.

“Oh,” Al retorted as he dramatically clutched his chest. “Your rapier wit wounds me yet again.

Sam chuckled.

Al refrained from rolling his eyes. “Road trip, buddy?”

“Last one to L.A. buys breakfast,” Sam countered as he reached for his car keys.

“You’re on.”

&*&

Al pulled his vintage Corvette into the sandy parking lot off the Pacific Coast Highway near Malibu. In the passenger seat were two brown paper bags reeking with the familiar smell of cheeseburgers and French fries since this had been the agreed upon meal for their little wager. He had let Sam win, but he would never tell his friend that nor admit to it if Sam ever figured it out.

He parked near Sam’s beat up Jeep. He grabbed the food and joined Sam on the beach as early morning surfers were replaced by kids seeking a little fun in the sun.

“Here you go, Sam,” he said handing over on of the bags. “Fries and a cheeseburger with the works.”

“I’ve been thinking about this since Tucson,” Sam murmured as he traded the bag for a bottle of cool soda.

“Then I’m glad to be of service,” Al quipped before diving into his own food.

*&*

“Thank you, Al,” Sam said after the comfortable silence stretched between them for several long minutes.

“You’re welcome, kid,” Al replied with a knowing smile.

Sam returned the smile and went back to people watch content to be where he was with his best friend by his side.


End file.
